Türkiye’s Health Ministry is preparing to introduce a comprehensive nationwide addiction screening and counseling program in schools, targeting children and adolescents aged 12 to 18.
Being developed in cooperation with the Education Ministry, the program aims to identify tobacco use, substance abuse and behavioral addictions at an early stage, particularly during adolescence.
Details regarding the implementation of the screening program have not yet been disclosed.
Speaking before the Turkish parliament’s commission on children drawn into crime, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said the 12–18 age group has become increasingly vulnerable, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Behavioral problems among young people have increased significantly since the pandemic,” Memişoğlu said. “The issue has started to pose a greater risk, especially in the 12-18 age group. By implementing screening programs in middle and high schools, we aim to reach young people before addiction becomes entrenched.”
Alongside the school-based initiative, Türkiye has also launched a pilot addiction treatment program in prisons, conducted as a joint venture between the justice and health ministries.
Under the pilot scheme, inmates convicted of crimes linked to addiction receive structured treatment during the final year of their sentence, shortly before release.
The program is currently active at Istanbul’s Bakırköy Prison and Elazığ Prison in the east, where specialized addiction treatment centers have been established within the facilities.
Officials emphasize that both the school screenings and the prison-based treatment programs are designed to prioritize early detection, effective treatment and long-term social reintegration.
